By Giulia Ceccon · Chief Marketing Officer
Reggio Emilia is an early-years educational philosophy that originated in the Italian city of the same name after WWII. It treats children as capable, curious "researchers" and uses long-form projects driven by their own questions. Common at international preschools and nurseries serving 0–6 year olds.
The learning pathway
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Ages 0–3
Nido (Infant & Toddler)
Small, calm environments centred on relationships. Educators observe and document; the room itself is a "third teacher".
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Ages 3–6
Scuola dell’Infanzia
The classic Reggio classroom. Emergent projects (progettazione) run for weeks or months, driven by children's genuine interests, expressed across the "Hundred Languages".
What makes Reggio distinctive
The teacher's job is to document — photos, transcripts of conversations, displays of children's work — and to use that documentation to plan next steps. The physical environment is treated as the "third teacher": natural light, open spaces, real materials (clay, wire, wood).
Is Reggio Emilia right for your child?
It tends to suit families who…
- •Value creativity, dialogue and emergent inquiry
- •Are comfortable with progress that’s slower to measure formally
- •Want a calm, aesthetic early-years environment
It may be less ideal if…
- •You prefer a structured, prescribed early-years curriculum
- •Quality assurance is a concern — Reggio is a philosophy, not a certified curriculum
Common questions
FAQs about the Reggio Emilia curriculum
Is Reggio Emilia a formal curriculum?
No — it's an approach or philosophy, not a curriculum with prescribed content. Each school adapts the principles to its own children and community. That's a strength (genuinely child-led) and a weakness (quality varies hugely between schools).
How is Reggio Emilia different from Montessori?
Both reject teacher-led direct instruction in early years, but Montessori uses structured materials and a defined progression. Reggio is emergent, project-driven and less prescribed.
What comes after a Reggio-inspired pre-school?
Most children move to a mainstream international curriculum (IB PYP, British, American) at around 6. Most settle quickly — Reggio backgrounds tend to produce confident communicators.
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